Indiana Pacers Prospects: Corey Kispert, an absolute shooting flamethrower

What skills would Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert bring to the Indiana Pacers?

Shooting: It doesn’t get much better than this!

Corey Kispert erupted into one of college basketball’s best players during this senior year after developing over four years, and one that could even make a case for a lottery pick this year, and a lot of that is thanks to his previously mentioned mastery as a three-point shooter.

His performance against Virginia could quite honestly be made into a sharpshooting Masterclass. Gonzaga completely massacred the poor Cavaliers, and that was thanks to Kispert bombing them with nine three-pointers in only 13 attempts. That’s nearly a 70% shooting rate behind the line against a legit ranked team and numerous shots in this game came from well behind the NBA three-point stripe.

This was possible because Corey is a near-perfect shooting prospect as he can seamlessly balance himself into a fluid shot from catches off the hop and 1-2 step alike. He’s a threat off screens, as a trailer, and of course in transition. He possesses a skill that has become crucial in playoff performing shooters, and that’s the ability to relocate before shooting to counter closeouts and other aggressive defensive stunts, and this is something Kispert has had in his arsenal for years.

Not only that, but Corey displays an effortless, and more importantly, quick stroke that doesn’t waste a motion in its fluidity. This season, he’s shooting a bonkers 48% on nearly 6.5 attempts and it’s clear he’ll walk into the NBA as a next-level shooter.

Slashing: An added layer to an already ripe scoring onion

Not only has this Bulldog’s shooting progressed, but his paint pressure has taken another step as well thanks to some athletic development and an added tighter handle.

What was a seriously slow player before has a bit more pep in his step than we’ve seen before this point. Moreover, despite being the kind of athlete that will never be close to touching a 30+ inch vertical jump, he counters this lack of verticality with soft touch and strength supplied from that bulky 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame that he uses well in the lane, and this aids his ability to finish with both hands.

He most commonly falls to this tool during strong closeouts and miscommunications and while he may not ever be LeBron James at the rim, his finishing is now far from liability levels.

Playmaking: A solid tertiary option

While he lacks a lot of potential in advantage creation and will never be a primary initiator thanks to his lack of a killer handle or speed needed to be that role, his intelligence and court awareness grant him the ability to hit the open man more often than not.

His playmaking may not be special, but he’s not the black hole that we see a lot of college stars become, and I think on a team like the Pacers that is loaded with wing scoring, you could extract a lot of value out of this part of his game. I expect him to be a low turnover player with some 4-6 assist games up his sleeve.